Miguel Da Silva, also known as Midnight Hubris, is a rising star in Cape Town’s music scene. The 22-year-old musician, producer, and artist released his debut album, SIRBUH, at the end of 2022, which has been well-received by audiences and critics alike. Miguel’s music is an eclectic mix of genres and styles, reflecting his wide-ranging taste and creative vision. He has new music coming out this year, which promises to push boundaries even further, and is also hosting an event called House of Hubris on 24 March at House of Artezian, which seeks to bring fresh, exciting sounds to the city’s electronic scene.
Miguel sat down with Let’s Get Local to talk about his creative process, upcoming projects, and collaborations that have influenced his music.
From Bedroom Beats to Masterpiece
SIRBUH, Miguel’s debut full-length LP, is a time capsule of sorts, capturing the artist’s musical journey over the past few years. “I made most of the beats and songs in my last year of high school [2019] and in my gap year [2020],” he explains. “The whole thing was produced and recorded in my bedroom and my mom’s sewing room, where I used to have a ton of studio sessions with my homies.”
Miguel’s creative process for SIRBUH was highly experimental. He made around 75 different beats and songs, some of which were incomplete ideas or alternate versions of songs that didn’t make the final cut. “The idea behind SIRBUH was to not restrict myself to genre or style and allow it to be a reflection of everything I liked at the time and express my personality and taste,” he says.
Despite this free-form approach, SIRBUH is a cohesive, well-crafted album that showcases Miguel’s versatility and unique sound. It also features contributions from other artists, with local RnB singer-songwriter, Scintilla, even using some of the beats from the SIRBUH sessions on her debut album, Fables.
Miguel has new music coming out this year, which promises to be just as innovative and genre-bending as SIRBUH. “My music taste is quite broad, and moving to Cape Town in 2021 exposed me to a lot of new music and experiences,” he says. “For the first half of the year, I’m releasing a seven- or eight-track project and a four-track EP that’s a mix of jungle, DnB, house, and techno. Later in the year, I plan on releasing more alternative RnB/hip-hop music.” One project is fully produced by Yagatomo, and the other is a collaborative project he is doing with Scintilla.
Collaboration Nation
Miguel’s collaborations with other artists have played a significant role in shaping his sound. Yagatomo, a close friend, has been a key contributor to his musical development. “Yagatomo is an old best friend of mine and played a very key role in the sound and taste I have, as we developed a lot of our sound together. Our chemistry in the studio is insane, we feed off each other and enhance each other’s creativity effortlessly,” he says.
According to Miguel, Scintilla, another artist with whom he has collaborated with closely, has elevated him in ways that are difficult to explain, inspiring him to dive deeper into his personal taste and create music that is more raw and emotive. “She’s one of my favourite artists and working with her feels like a dream come true,” says Miguel, “Our taste is super similar and working with her always feels effortless, which I think is due to us having a vision and taste that aligns really well and we connect as friends which makes communication easy.”
Bvse, a sound engineer and artist, has also been instrumental in helping Miguel finalise projects and develop his sound, with the duo having spent countless hours creating music together. Other artists such as Kila G and Shoka Sunflower have also been influential in shaping his creativity and pushing him to be more expressive and experimental in his work.
Balancing Control and Freedom in Music
In terms of his place in the broader landscape of Cape Town’s music scene, Miguel admits that he has no idea where his sound fits in. Instead, he focuses on creating music that is experimental and reflects his own experiences and emotions. “I just try to surround myself with people that I respect and feel have a similar end goal of creating a scene that allows for untapped self-expression and an elevation of what’s been done before,” he says.
Miguel’s multi-faceted talents as a sound engineer, producer, and vocalist intersect in unique ways in his creative process. He enjoys having full control over the music he creates and refining specific ideas in a way that would be challenging to do with another person. “It also allows me to have full control and refine and express specific ideas in a way that I can’t necessarily do with another person as they can’t hear what’s in my brain,” he explains. At the same time, he appreciates the freedom that comes with being solely a vocalist for a song, as it allows him to focus more on his writing and vocal performance.
Miguel’s music incorporates elements of jazz, soul, and electronic music. He attributes his eclectic tastes to his upbringing, with his dad playing a variety of different genres when he was a child. Artists such as Frank Ocean, Tyler the Creator, and Kanye West have also influenced his sound, as have genres like hip-hop, R&B, and jazz. However, he emphasizes that his sound is unique and reflects his own experiences and emotions.
Taking on the Runway
Last year, Miguel also walked the runway at the Runway Showcase of Cape Town-based cross-cultural clothing brand, Broke. For him, music and fashion are intrinsically attached to each other, with both enhancing the experience of the other. “Walking the runway at the Broke fashion show was one of the highlights of my life so far, He says. Even though he was super intimidated, he was very excited to be part of a Broke production — and it was the first time he had professionally modelled. Miguel gives a sepcial shoutout to Slolo for suggesting him and linking him with the opportunity. “Love you big bro! The Broke boys inspire me to never give up and always give everything my all. They’ve shown me that my dreams are achievable and encourage me to be the best artist I can be. I love the Broke boys and they’ve done so much for me,” he adds.
The Future Looks Bright
As a talented and innovative musician, Miguel creates music that is both experimental and raw, bu he feels like he’s still very new to the music industry and that he still has a lot to learn. “I’m only 22 now so I’m still quite young and naïve in a lot of ways. I started making music when I was 17 so it has been like 5 years or so now but I still have a very long way to go,” he explains. He’s very optimistic about the future of the South African music industry and thinks that we are on our way to being an established industry that gets the same respect as the rest of the world.
Miguel has been working on a bunch of different music for the past two years and has grown a lot so he’s eager to execute as many ideas as he can and give everything his all. “I have four projects I’m releasing this year that I’m really excited about and I’m gonna be hosting a lot more events soon!” Catch him at his first House of Hubris event at House of Artezian this evening.
